title: [The significance of early evaluation of outpatient integrated care in psychiatry taking patients' waiting time as an example].
abstract: Quality indicators are widely used instruments of quality assurance measures to illustrate/document/take on record output variables. We here want to review and discuss the significance of quality indicators in outpatient integrated psychiatric care. Taking patient waiting time as an example, we want to discuss the challenges and difficulties to make clear statements about achievements in outpatient psychiatric care, and what parameters determine (or temper) these results and statements. As a conclusion, we strongly suggest early evaluation in the implementation of new ways and structures of patient care to prevent adverse outcomes by deficient or erroneous use of quality indicators.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Allgemeinmedizin, Universität Ulm.
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hausen
authors.affiliation: Zentrum für Sozialpolitik (ZeS), Universität Bremen.
authors.forename: Gerd
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Glaeske
mesh_terms: D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated / Q000458:organization & administration; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005858:Germany; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D011613:Psychotherapy; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D014850:Waiting Lists